One day a great KING was travelling through his Kingdom when he met an old beggar carrying a large bowl.

“What can I do to help you, old man?”
“There is nothing you can do for me, sire.”
“What do you mean? I am the KING! I possess unlimited power and wealth. I can fulfill the desire of anyone!”
“I’m not sure you have what I need.”
“I will fulfill any request you make.”
“Can you fill my begging bowl with something?”
“Of course……

Then the KING began to give His gold to the beggar and placed it into the bowl….BUT the coins quickly DISAPPEARED and the beggars bowl remained EMPTY!!!!

The KING then ordered MORE GOLD, and it too disappeared!!!

The KING’S counsellors pleaded with the KING to stop, but the KING said, “If I must lose my kingdom, so be it….I cannot be defeated by this old beggar.”

And the king GAVE and GAVE …and GAVE diamonds, pearls, emeralds
And the bowl seemed to be BOTTOMLESS…everything disappeared and gone forever.

Now a poor man himself, the KING dropped to His knees and admitted defeat.

“Tell me old man; what is this bowl made of that it swallows up such wealth?”

“The begging bowl is simply made up of human desire.” …..and with that the old man beggar suddenly disappeared, leaving the empty bowl at the feet of the impoverished KING!

We are in the joyful midst of the great season of Advent which can tempt our human desire to want MATERIAL THINGS. And, TRUE, this is a human desire, it happens to all of us…….. HUMAN DESIRE TO WANT THINGS!!!!! There is another!!!!

The KING doesn’t YET get it….the old man beggar needed the SPIRITUAL THINGS.

If only the KING said…

“I know what I can give you….I can teach you to pray. I can teach you to read the BIBLE every day. I can teach you about God’s mercy. I can teach you about Mary and the Rosary.

CONCLUSION:
Enjoy these days, which can be a bit hectic……but take time to sit by the tree…or gaze upon your nativity set…with the very hope that these MATERIAL THINGS will point you to JESUS and think about what you know of HIM…dwell upon the stories of His life…for some time. Fill up your begging bowl with spirituality. Grow in your discovery of Him through some spiritual reflection.